“N-Now that everyone is here, let’s go over this one more time.” I sighed as my professor rambled nervouslyas she fiddled with one of herred braids.Shewasrelatively newto teaching, something she brought up every few days since the semester started. It was amusing really, watching someone onlya few years older than me tasked with teaching us. Apparently, being a geniusdoesn’tincludeexcelling in interpersonal communication. After shuffling some papers noisily at the podium in front of the threehundred or so students, she cleared her throat and started again.“As you know, Earth was conquered...erm, liberated bytheBevusianEmpire.”
“To hell with that!” Someone a few rows back shouted out to the rest of us in the lecture hall while slamming afistdown on the table. While Iwas none too happy about being conquered so easily by an alien race far superior to our own.Screaming about itand getting all red in the face was pretty cringe, especially since they won the war without killing any of us. It sucked, sure, but hey,it beats being a slave orbeing experimentedon with weirdscienceshit.
“P-Please calm down.” The poor woman tried in vain to stem the quickly rising anger of my fellow classmates. And it would have gotten worse had it not been for the heavily armored police officer screaming at everyone to remain seated and to be quiet. He wasn’t the most imposing sounding man if I was being honest, but theshotgun he held in his handssure as hell was.I know tensions are still high since the occupation was ongoing, but this felt a little over the top.After thanking the stone-faced officer for hisassistance, she continued. “I knowthe occupation is uncomfortable for many of you, but the assimilation program is intended to help...integrate our two species.”
“Sure, like that’ll happen.” A girl chuckled to myright, eliciting somesnickersfrom her friends. Not one for confrontation, the professor continued.
“And so, our college has been granted the honor of hosting a member of the Bevusian race to help build positive relations.Now, please let me introduce you to your new classmate. Freyja, you may come in now!” As the door to the right of the professor opened, many of my classmates started booing and chanting variations of ‘Go away’ and ‘Leave Quad!’.But, as quickly as their chanting began, it quickly meandered off into stunned whispers followed by silence. Frankly, even I was struggling to process what I was seeing.
Ayellow-skinnedBevusian womanwalked into the room and stood next to the mousey professor, towering over her by at least three feet. She wasdressed in a pair of black leggings, that hugged her powerful and muscular legs. As well as amatching blackhoodie with an extra set of arm holes toaccommodate her four massive arms. Her long white hair was tied into two long braids that cascaded down the front of her body ending ather wide hips. Oddly enough, her facial features were incredibly human except for her eyes.Instead of white, her sclera was as black as the night sky, with only the blue of the iris to illuminate the darkness.One by one she stared at us withan imperious gaze, no one daring to stand up to her or utter a word.
And then her eyes fell upon me,and no sooner did our eyes lock did they begin to visibly glow brightlyeven under the harsh rays of the artificial lights aboveus. She then scowled at me before moving on. Confused, I wanted to ask what her problem was, but I am not ashamed to admitthat the animal part of my brain was screaming at me to just stay quiet.
Fear is a hell of a thing.
Once she had taken ina few more faces, she felt itappropriate toaddress us.
“Thank you for having me. My Name is Freyja Bes, I am twenty in your Earth years and am majoring in mathematics. I have been sent here toshowcaseBevusian culture, but I thinkyou’llfind it remarkablylikeyours.”Seeing no reaction from us, she turned toward the diminutive woman next to her.The professorstuttered foramoment;no doubt terrified by the alien’s appearancebefore speaking up.
“T-Thank you for thatintroduction,Ms. Bes. And just to reiterate, I will be your professor for Mathematics 201, Ms. Campbell.” The bespectacled woman said with a smile as she looked up ather alien student.The woman nodded appreciatively before taking off her backpack and holding it by its handle. “Er,how about yougo finda seat and we can get class started, okay?Anywhere will do.” Without a word, she made her way through the hall, students doing their best to not gettooclose to heras she moved. And despite the dozens of hate-filled stares pointed at her, she paidnoattentionto themas she trudged around looking for a seat.
I shook my head and started reviewing last night’s assignment to ensure that I answered the questions correctly, proofs were never my strong suit and-"
CREAKKK
Slowly, I turned my head to the left to see what made thatgod-awful noise and was met with a wall of black cotton and yellow skin. The alien woman felt itappropriate tosit next to me for some reason, her chair still creaking in protest at her weight as she adjusted into it.
The girls to myrightshot me a few dirty looks, as though it were my fault the three-hundred-pound alien sat close to them.Thankfully, she got an aisle seat, she certainly neededthe legroom,that’sfor sure. And as anxious as I was about one of myconquerorsa merefoot awayfrom my person, I did my best to ignore her and focus on my homework.
“Get out of here you Quad bitch!” A student directly across the aisle suddenly screamed, throwing a textbook atthe Quad’shead. Without looking, she caught the book with her bottomleftarm and tossed it back without missing a beat.“Did you just try to hit me with that?” The girl who originally threw it questioned.
God, I just wanted to learn to write a damn proof.
“Knock it off!” The officer at the front of the hall shouted, knuckles white from gripping the shotgun, his eyes rapidly darting between the alien and any sort of movement from the students.
“Oh, shut up, we hate you as much as we do her! How can you defend her? You should shoot her for what her kind did!”
“That’s right!”
“Shoot her!”
Looking around, many more of my classmates got up, not deterred by the weapon anymore from voicing their vitriol, their threats becomingmore and moregrotesque. The officer, obviously unwilling to shoot any of the students, radioed for backup in between shouting orders for us to calm down.
I lookedtowardthe alien, unable to ignore the scene unfolding around me any longer, sheremainedstone-faced and yet I could have sworn that her eyes had begun to water.
“Hey, get the hellouttahere, now!” Arather muscular-lookingguy screamedat heras he shoved a finger in her face. I quickly stood up and slapped his hand away.
“C’mon bro, leave her alone. Shehasn’tdoneanything;she’sjust a student too. Idon’tthink sheparticipatedin the war or anything like that.” I said, trying to reasonwith him. Only, his facebecameredder, andwithin seconds all the concentrated rage in the room was now focused on yours truly.
“Oh, we got a Quad lover over here everybody!” He threw his arms up, eliciting laughter and sneers from everyone. I stepped out from my row ofseats andput my hands up.
“Look, man, Idon’twannafight. Do you think this will end well for you, for any of us if wehurta Quad?I’mnot happy about this either...but this is just stupid.” Once again, my wordsfell on deaf ears.
“So,you think wanting to take back our Earth from this...scum, is wrong?”
“I didn’t saythat,and you know it.” I leaned in and narrowed my eyesathim. “Now, sit down so we can learn about some proofs, or are you tooroidedout to care?”He smirked at me before taking off his jacket, revealing his muscular body to the room.Unimpressed, I looked to see if the officer would do anything, but he was too busy arguing with a small crowd of students near the front of the hall as Ms. Campbell weakly called for order.
“Don’t look away from me!” Roiddudeshouted as he tossed a haymaker in my direction. Weaving around it, I fired off ajab to his sternum and followed with a cross to hisdiaphragm, forcefully expelling the air from his lungs. Before I couldreact, someone grabbed my arms from behind and put me in a headlock. Another studentcharged from my left and got a good hook across myface
Before the beatdown could worsen, a flash of yellow intervened, and the next thing I knew, both students who attacked me were on the ground in pain. Once my vision returned, I looked to see Freyja standing next to me, baring what looked like a few rows of serrated teeth at the crowd forming around us.
BANG
A group of officers stormed into the hall as the original officer from before fired a shotgun blast into the air, stopping everyone in their tracks instantly.
“Everyone on the floor right now!” He bellowed as every student got down. As the officersensured compliance, he hurriedtoward me and the Quad.“You two troublemakers are coming withme;some people want to speak with you.”
“Oh, come on, I just-” I tried to protest, but he shoved me along and gestured for the alien to follow me out of the lecture hall. “I just wanted to do some math,” I muttered.
